Why Gen Z Feel Less Happy Even as Society Gets Richer

"By many objective measures, people today are growing up in one of the most materially prosperous periods in history. They have greater access to education, healthcare, and information than previous generations. Technological innovation has reshaped daily life in ways that would have been unimaginable even a few decades ago. Yet despite continued economic growth, recent global happiness reports place the United States lower in life satisfaction than in previous years."

"According to the Global Flourishing Study, Gen Z and younger Millennials have the lowest self-reported well-being in the nation, with many feeling that their lives don't matter and that their work has no meaning. Older Millennials are doing a little better, but still not great, with midlife pressures mounting. Gen Xers and Baby Boomers are doing best out of all the generations, but are still not doing as well as previous generations at their age."

"For most of human history, people compared themselves primarily to those around them—neighbors, classmates, coworkers. Today, social media sets the standard to include carefully curated portrayals of success from across the globe. Teenagers scrolling through images of strangers' achievements, travels, or relationships may perpetually feel like they aren't living their best lives, even when they are doing pretty well, if they compare themselves to how people around them actually live."

Despite living in one of history's most materially prosperous periods with greater access to education, healthcare, information, and technological innovation, people in the United States report declining life satisfaction and well-being. Gen Z and younger Millennials experience the lowest self-reported well-being, with many feeling their lives lack meaning and purpose. The U.S. Surgeon General identified loneliness and social isolation as a public health epidemic with significant psychological and physiological consequences. Social media has fundamentally altered how people evaluate their lives by enabling constant comparison with carefully curated portrayals of success from strangers worldwide. This creates a zero-sum dynamic where others' visibility diminishes one's sense of personal significance and achievement.

Read at www.psychologytoday.com